Mining-machine



P. M. LBGHNER. Mining-Machine.

No. 223,626. Patend1an.13,18so.

N. PETER;l FMoTauTl-IDGRAPN UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCISl M. LECHNER, OF WAYNESBURG, ASSIGNOR TO LECHNER' MINING MACHINE COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

MINING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,626, dated January 13, 1880.

, Application led November 1, 1879.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. LECHNER, of Waynesburg, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mining `Machines5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use 1o the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification My invention is designed to be used, in connection with the rope or chain shownin my Patent No. 186,854, for the purpose of withdrawing the cutters from the coal; and it consists in a novel construction of parts for communicating a rotary motion to the drum or spool zo on which the rope is wound, for the purpose of drawing the sliding cutter-frame backward upon its supporting sills or frame.

Figure l is a plan view of so much of a miningmachine as is necessary to illustrate my invention; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal seci tion (enlarged) of the particular device which forms the subject-matter of this patent.

As the machine isin its general organization, like that shown in my above-mentioned so far as relates to the invention claimed.

A2k A2 are the main sills, connected with` each other by a sill, A4, and, another (not shown) constituting a bed-frame. B2 B2 are 3 5 carriers sliding on sills A2 A2. C4 C5 are shoes mounted on carriers B2 B2. C3 is a cutter-bar revolving in the shoes and armed with cutters o2 o4.

There is an engine-cylinder, D, steam-chest D', crank d, piston-rod d?, and a pitman on each side of the machine.

F is a spur-gear on the crank-shaft, meshing with spur-gear F' on shaft F2. A sprocket-wheel, F3, is mounted on shaft F2, and conv45 nected by a chain with a sprocket-wheel, B',

to Wind up a rope, l', one end of which is attached to a post, k', rising from the cross-giri: A4, to withdraw the cutters from the coal, as will be hereinafter fully explained.

i 5o E is the driving-chain which operates the patent, I will only brieiiy describe it, except cutter-shaft,- as is set forth in my former patent, referred to. a

A is a shaft mounted upon either the front side or rear side of the vertical' posts of the sliding frame in such manner as to turnfreely in its bearings. a is a conical-shaped enlargement of the shaft near one end. A' is a hollow cone-wedge mounted loosely upon the shaft, and sliding freely endwise thereon, but connected with the shaft by means of aspline 6o or feather, B, so that the wedge and shaft must rotate together.

B' is a sprocket-wheelformed in one piece with or attached to the cone A', and I purpose connecting this sprocket-wheel with one of the driving-shafts of the machine by means of a chain.

b is a hub formed inone piece with or attached to the cone-wedge A', and provided with a groove, b','adapted to receive the forked 7o end of a shipping-lever, whereby the conewedge may be moved endwise upon the shaft A.

C C' C2 represent a spool mounted upon the shaft A, C' representing a tapering expanded end of the spool, adapted to iit closely the coneshaped enlargement a, of the shaft, C2 representing a similar tapering expansion of the opposite end of the spool, which is adapted to fit closely the cone-wedge A'.

o c are flanges or heads to properly guide 8o the Winding of the rope or chain as it is being Wound upon the spoo From the above description it will be seen that, the cone-wedge and sh aftA being rotated continuously in one direction from a driviugshaft of the machine, a rotary motion can be imparted to the spool by griping the same between the conical part a and the cone-wedge A' Whenever the operator may desire to do so.

I do not claim, broadly, the combination, in 9o a mining-machine, of cord or rope with a drum and clutch for withdrawing the cutters from the coal; but my construction possesses marked or decided advantages over any now in use.

As the cutter shaft sometimes becomes tightly wedged in the coal by a slip 7 or otherwise, and requires a great amount of power to withdraw it therefrom, it is desirable to use a spool of small diameter and of as great length as the width of the machine will permit, and roo I have found that by employing a continuously-rotating shaft, A, with a spool which may be clamped to the shaft at both endsby means of the cones A' a, I can apply the necessary power without twisting said spool, even though the rope be at the time Winding upon said spool near one end, the torsional strain being applied to both ends with substantially the same force.

It is apparent that as the cone ct supports the spool against the end-thrust of the cone A, the broad end of the cone a; forms a wide bearing to run in Contact With the boxing or side ofthe frame, thereby preventing the eutting or wearing of parts, which would take place Were the thin edge of the part c to be run in Contact with the bearing under heavy pressure.

The combination, with the sliding carriers zo A2, the bed-frame, and the rope or chain l', of 

